Improvement in gang-plows



PLPETERS. PHOTD-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATESA vPATENT OFFICE.

F. It. CROTHERS, OF SPAR'IA, ILLINOIS.

VIMPROVEMENT IN GANG-FLOWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 41,686, dated February 23, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F. R. OROTHERS, of Sparta, Randolph county, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful ImprovelnentsinGang-Plows; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Y Figure 1 is side elevation of my improved machine with a portion of one Vbeam broken away to show the mode of adjusting the draftpole. Fig. 2 is a front end view of the machine. Figs. 3 and 4 show indetail the method of adjusting the draft-pole.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to that class of gangplows which are supported on wheels, and in which it is necessary to raise the plows above the surface of the ground in order to transport the machine from one place to another, or to turn the machine at the corners of the eld in plowing.

The main part of my invention consists in hinging the axle-tree of the carriage-wheels to the plow beams by means of arms which will allow the axle to move forward and upward, and in operating said axle-tree by means of a windlass and a stiff connecting-rod so applied that the plowmanwhile sitting on the machine can depress the axle and thus elevate the plows above the surface of the ground; or he can bring the plows into operation again by allowing the axle to swing forward, as will be hereinafter described.

My invention consists also in att-aching the draft-pole to the forward ends of the plowbeams by means of screw-rods set at right angles to each other in such manner that by the use of nuts applied to said rods the draft-pole can be readily adjusted and also rigidly secured in any desired position, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to linderstand my invention, I' will describe its consupport for the rear plow. These two plowbeams are securely braced together parallel to each other by means of transverse beams a a a' a', which, together with a long central beam, b, also constitute supports for the drivers seat B, and a foot-board, B', as shown Vin Fig. 2. Thelongintermediatebeam, b, is securely bolted across the bottom of the plow-beams, and extends out on each side thereof equaldistances, receiving'the diagonal braces b2, which greatly add to its rigidity, and which strengthen its projecting ends. Y

The plows C O', which maybeof the common form for breaking up the soil, are attached to their respective beams by means ot' clips d d',

which embrace the upper ends of the plowstandards and the plow-beams, and also by means of inclined brace-rods e e', which aresecured at their upper ends to the rear transverse brace-beam, a', by means of nuts applied on each side of Vthis beam.

D represents the axle-tree, and E E the carriage-wheels on the ends thereof. Near the extremities of this axle-tree I rigidly attach two arms, g g, which project at right angles therefrom, and have eyes formed on their ends, which receive pins or staples il t', that are secured to the bottom of the bar b, thus forming strong hinge-connections of the axle with the frame ot' the machine. The hinged arms g g are of such length that when the axle-tree is at its lowest point with respect to the beams A A the plows will be considerably elevated above the surface of the ground, and when the axle is thrown up to its fullest extent the plows will descend to their greatest desired depth in the ground. On the opposite side ofthe axletree to the hinged armsg g, and at the middle of this axle, an arm, h, is rigidly attached, and to the outer extremity of this arm the lower end of a stiff rod, N, is pivoted. The upper end of the rod N-projects up some distance above the beams A A', and has a strong rope or chain, fm, attached to it, which is carried down and passed around the transverse drum or shaft p, which has its end bearings in two posts,J J ,that project up perpendicularly from the forward ends of the plow-beams, as shown in Figs. l and 2. The upper end of rod N is thus carried above the windlass or shaft 10, so that by turning this shaft by means of crank p the aXleD will be pushed downward and the entireframe, together with the plows, elevated.

On one side of the standard J and keyed to the crank-shaft p, is a ratchetwheel, i", and pivoted to the standard below this wheel is a pawl, r', which on being engaged with the ratchet keeps the plows from running deeper into the ground than is desired, and also holds the plows out of the ground when itis desired to turn the machine or to transport it from one place to another. When the plows have been lowered to run a certain depth the shaft or windlass-drum p is locked by means of the ratchet and pawi, as above described. The plows will now run at this depth, they being held down by the stift rod N, which prevents the axle-tree from rising.'

The draft-pole l? is attached to forward ends of the plow-beams A A by means of two screwbolts, s t, that pass through said pole at right angles to each other and receive nuts o c on each side of the pole, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The screw-rod s passes through both beams A A. in atransverse direction, and also through the rear end of the pole P and receives nuts on each side ot' it. This bolt allows 'the forward end of the pole to be adjusted vertically and the rear end to be adj usted laterally. In advance ot' screw-bolt s is another screwbolt, t, which passes through the middleof the two transverse beams a a', and through the draft-pole P, and receives nuts o on each side of this draft-pole. By loosening the nuts on bolt t the draft-pole can be adj usted vertically, and by loosening the nuts on the rear bolt, s,

the front end of the draft-pole can be adj usted laterally.v When the pole has been properly adjusted the nuts are set up tightly against it, and it is held rigidly in its place. In practice it will not bc necessary to loosen but two nuts inlzlidjusting the pole either laterally or vertica y.

In the operation of my machine in the field it will probably be necessary to back the machine a short distance before the plows can be elevated above the surface ofthe ground. The object of this backing is to run the plows out from under the sod, so that there will be less resistance in lifting the plows up.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, .is-,-

1. Hinging the axletree to the frame of the machine, so that the former will swingforward of its hin ge-conn ection, in combination with the thrusting connecting rod N, cord or chain m, and windlass p, all applied and operating substantially as described.

2. The use of a stift rod, N, in combination with a windlass, p, and a hinged axle, D, operating substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The manner of attaching the draft-poleP to the plow-beam, substantially as and for the purposes described.

F. n. eRorHERs.

Witnesses:

WM. B. GODDARD, MYRON ORUP. 

